permaculture

[Toby Hemenway <hemenway@jeffnet.org>]

> Does anyone know what mil of plastic is best for solarizing to kill turf and
> weeds? 

The thickness doesn't matter too much, but the best way to do it is to put
down a layer of black plastic, and then over that, a layer of clear plastic.
I've tried it all ways, and this creates a very powerful solar oven that is
much more effective than either kind of plastic alone.

Obviously, it's preferable to find used plastic than to buy it new.

But even better is to do it with cardboard/newspaper and a heavy mulch (8-12
inches, or topsoil (4-6 inches) on top of it. Then you don't have to use
plastic, or strip it off, or dispose of it, and it all breaks down into good
soil. This is sheet mulching. It's quicker (you can plant into it
immediately), saves steps, and is more environmentally responsible (recycles
wastes, less petroleum). There are many good examples of sheet mulching all
over the web, or in my book (ahem!), Gaia's Garden.

Toby
www.patternliteracy.com